Nursing-nipple.



W. M. DECKER. NURSING NIPPLE.

. APPLIOATION ,I'ILnIisnrTJse. 1909.

Patented Jan-10,1911.

ms NORRIS PETER: 50-, wAs'HmaruN, 04 c4 WILLIAM MORE DECKER, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

NURSING-NIPPLE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patgnted Jan, 10, 1911,

Application filed September 28, 1909. Serial No. 520,017.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, VILLIAM MORE DECKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Nursing Nipples; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descript-ion of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in flexible nipples for nursing bottles, &c.

In the ordinary construction of nipples of various exterior designs the food orifice is always located in the apex of the nipple, and owing to the flexible character of the nipple the greatest amount of wear occurs at this locality and results in the gradual enlargement of the food orifice, and conse,

quently the supply of food increases in exact proportion to such enlargement of the orifice, and hence the food is not supplied slowly and in uniform quantity, and results in producing indigestion with infants using a bottle equipped with such a nipple. Not

only does this disadvantage result from the use of nipples as at present constructed, but they soon wear out and have to be replaced.

My invention has for its object to provide a nipple which shall overcome all of the disadvantages of nipples as at present constructed and to provide one which shall not only be more durable but which will at the same time secure a uniform delivery as to quantity of food.

With these ends in view my invention consists broadly in forming the nipple with the food orifice remote from the terminus of the nipple, as will be hereinafter and in detail explained. As this result may be obtained by various forms or designs of the nipple I will proceed to describe the same referring to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of nipple secured in position upon an ordinary nursing bottle. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of a nipple showing the upper terminus of the body proper convex. Fig. 3 is a similar view but showing the extension above the terminus of the body of spherical form. Fig. 4: is a similar view showing the upper terminus of the body of concave form.

Fig. 5 isa similar view to Fig. 4E, but show ing a slightly different form of the extension, and with the upper extremity of the body more acute in convexity. Fig. '6 is a similar View showing the wall or partition between the body and the extension, substan tially horizontal. Fig. 7 is a vertical section of a combined nipple and breast attached to a food cell; and Fig. 8 is a vertical. section showing a nipple embodying the features of my invention and combined with a breast and secured in position upon a food receptacle as shown and described in Letters Patent No. 521,7 7 8, granted to me June 19, 1894.

Similar reference numerals indicate like parts in the several figures of the drawing.

1 is the main body of the nipple which is reinforced at 2 and adapted to be stretched over and embrace the neck of a bottle 3, or when formed with a breast 4, to embrace a food cell 5 in the manner described in the Letters Patent hereinbefore referred to.

6 is a spherical or other form of terminal extending beyond the apex 7 of the nipple proper, and open at its extremity as shown, and 8 is the food orifice through the apex of the nipple, or the partition or wall between the nipple and the extension 6. This point of juncture between the nipple may be convex as shown at Fig. 2, horizontal as shown at Fig. 6, or concave as shown at Fig. 4, but in each case, as is clearly shown, the food orifice 8 is remote from the outer terminus of the nipple at which point the pressure by the infant is exerted, so that the orifice 8 is not subjected to the dilation or expansion which would result in the usual compression and expansion of the apex of the nipple, but the orifice is shielded and protected from friction, and consequent wear which occurs from nursing where the orifice is located at the exposed apex of the nipple, and consequently my improved nipple remains for a much longer time of normal capacity and results in a uniform and predetermined supply of food. Another important advantage resulting from my improved construction in which the orifice is located re- -mote from the apex of the nipple, in the dividing wall or partition between the upper and lower cavities, resides in the fact that the nipple proper cannot collapse sufficiently to obstruct the flow of food. In the nipple as ordinarily constructed with the orifice at the apex, if the nipple collapses such collapse must be back of or below the orifice, and hence the fiow of food under such a condition is obstructed.

It will be readily understood that with my improved construction, with the body open at the bottom and the upper extension beyond'the food orifice open at the top extremity, that each portion of the nipple can be re'adlly turned inside out for thoroughly cleansingthe same.

above the food orifice a spherical or semispherical form in order that thejinfant may place the gums or lips over the expanded 1 portion and thus secure a good hold upon I V the nipple, I do not wish to be confined in 1 this respect so long as that portion of the nipple which is grasped by the infant ex- 3 tends above or beyond the food orifice.

While I have taken pains to show several modifications in the form of nipple and to i explain that it is immaterial whether such a nipple is made independent of or com-; bined with a flexible breast, I desire it toi be understood that I do not wish to be; limited in any degree asto the form or charact'er of the juncture between the terminus I 'of the nipple proper and the extension 6, so 5 long as the orifice 8 for the passage of the food is remote from, or below the extremity of the extension 6.

Having described the construction and advantages of my improved nipple what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a nursing nipple, the combination with a body portion open at its lower extremity adapted to be secured in position upon a suitable food receptacle and provided with a food orifice at its upper contracted portion, of a cup shaped mouth piece formed v While I prefer to give to the extension upon and extending beyond the upper portion of said body portion, substantially as described.

2. In a nursing nipple, the combination with a substantially conical shaped body portion adapted to be secured upon a food receptacle and at its apex, 0 an annular flexible flange 1 surrounding and extending beyond its upper contracted portion, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM MORE DECKER.

Witnesses:

W. F. STURM, E. A. OLDAY.

rovided with a food orifice 

